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Flashcards for Vocabulary Quiz October 14th and 15th
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Biological Psychology
The scientific study of the links between biological (genetic, neural, hormonal) & psychological processes.
Nature-Nurture Issue
The controversy over the contributions of genes & experience to psychological traits & behavior.
Natural Selection
Inherited traits enabling survival & reproduction are passed on.
Evolutionary Psychology
The study of the evolution of behavior & the mind, using natural selection principles.
Mutation
A random error in gene replication that leads to a change.
Environment
Every nongenetic influence, from prenatal nutrition to experiences.
Heredity
The genetic transfer of characteristics from parents to offspring.
Genes
The biochemical units of heredity.
Identical (monozygotic) twins
Individuals developed from a single fertilized egg that split, genetically identical.
Fraternal (dizygotic) twins
Individuals developed from separate fertilized eggs, no closer than siblings.
Interaction
The effect of one factor depends on another (heredity and environment).
Nervous System
The body’s electrochemical communication network.
Central Nervous System (CNS)
The brain & spinal cord.
Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)
The sensory & motor neurons connecting the CNS to the body.
Nerves
Bundled axons connecting the CNS with muscles, glands, & sensory organs.
Sensory Neurons
Neurons carry incoming information from the body to the brain and spinal cord.
Motor Neurons
Neurons carry outgoing information from the brain & spinal cord to the muscles & glands.
Interneurons
Neurons within the brain & spinal cord that communicate internally & process information.
Somatic Nervous System
The division of the PNS that controls the body’s skeletal muscles.
Autonomic Nervous System
The part of the PNS that controls the glands & muscles of internal organs.
Sympathetic Nervous System
The division of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body, mobilizing its energy.
Parasympathetic Nervous System
The division of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body, conserving energy.
Reflex
A simple, automatic response to a sensory stimulus.
Neuron
A nerve cell; the basic building block of the nervous system.
Cell Body
The part of a neuron that contains the nucleus; the cell’s life support center.
Dendrites
A neuron’s branching extensions that receive & integrate messages.
Axon
The segmented neuron extension that passes messages through its branches to other neurons or to muscles & glands.
Myelin Sheath
A fatty tissue layer encasing axons, enabling greater transmission speed.
Glial Cells (Glia)
Cells that support, nourish, & protect neurons.
Action Potential
A neural impulse; a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon.
Threshold
The level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse.
Refractory Period
A brief resting pause after a neuron has fired.
All-or-None Response
A neuron’s reaction of either firing or not firing.
Synapse
The junction between the axon & dendrite of neurons.
Neurotransmitters
Chemical messengers that cross the synaptic gap between neurons.
Reuptake
A neurotransmitter’s reabsorption by the sending neuron.
Endorphins
Natural, opioid-like neurotransmitters linked to pain control & pleasure.
Agonist
A molecule that increases a neurotransmitter’s action.
Antagonist
A molecule that inhibits or blocks a neurotransmitter’s action.
Endocrine System
The body’s “slow” chemical communication system; a set of glands that secrete hormones.
Hormones
Chemical messengers manufactured by the endocrine glands that travel through the bloodstream.
Biopsychosocial Approach
An integrated approach that incorporates biological, psychological, & social-cultural levels of analysis.
Levels of Analysis
Differing views, from biological to psychological to social-cultural.
Neuroplasticity
The brain’s ability to change by reorganizing or building new pathways.
Lesion
Tissue destruction; brain lesions may occur naturally or experimentally.
EEG (Electroencephalogram)
An amplified recording of the waves of electrical activity sweeping across the brain’s surface.
CT (Computed Tomography) Scan
A series of X-ray photographs combined into a composite representation of a slice of the brain.
PET (Positron Emission Tomography)
A technique for detecting brain activity by showing where glucose goes.
MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging)
A technique that uses magnetic fields & radio waves to produce images of soft tissue.
fMRI (Functional MRI)
A technique for revealing blood flow and, therefore, brain activity.
Hindbrain
Consists of the medulla, pons, & cerebellum; directs survival functions.
Midbrain
Connects the hindbrain with the forebrain, controls some movement, & transmits auditory and visual data.
Forebrain
Consists of the cerebral cortex, thalamus, & hypothalamus; manages complex activities.
Brainstem
The central core of the brain, responsible for automatic survival functions.
Medulla
The brainstem’s base; controls heartbeat & breathing.
Thalamus
The forebrain’s sensory control center.
Reticular Activating System
A nerve network that filters information & controls arousal.
Cerebellum
Processes sensory input, coordinates movement output & balance.
Limbic System
Neural system associated with emotions & drives.
Amygdala
Neural clusters linked to emotion.
Hypothalamus
Directs maintenance activities, helps govern the endocrine system, & is linked to emotion & reward.
Hippocampus
Helps process explicit memories for storage.
Cerebral Cortex
The body’s ultimate control & information-processing center.
Frontal Lobes
Enable linguistic processing, muscle movements, higher-order thinking, & executive functioning.
Parietal Lobes
Receives sensory input for touch & body position.
Occipital Lobes
Receives information from the visual fields.
Temporal Lobes
Includes auditory areas & enables language processing.
Motor Cortex
Controls voluntary movements.
Somatosensory Cortex
Registers & processes body touch & movement sensations.
Association Areas
Involved in higher mental functions such as learning, remembering, thinking, & speaking.
Neurogenesis
The formation of new neurons.
Corpus Callosum
Connects the two brain hemispheres & carries messages between them.
Split Brain
A condition resulting from surgery that separates the brain’s two hemispheres.